Marion Takes Charge Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Marion, the Big Sister

  Chapter 2: The Club’s New Critter

  Chapter 3: How to Calm a Cat

  Chapter 4: Sister Sitter

  Chapter 5: A Call for Help

  Chapter 6: Marion to the Rescue

  Chapter 7: Gabby Meets Tabby

  Chapter 8: Animals Everywhere!

  Chapter 9: Sisterly Love

  ‘Amy Is a Little Bit Chicken’ Excerpt

  About Callie Barkley and Marsha Riti

  Marion, the Big Sister

  “Here, Gabby,” Marion Ballard said to her little sister. “I’ll do that for you.”

  “No, I can do it!” Gabby replied. She was at the front door, tying her shoes. Marion thought she was doing it way too slowly.

  Mrs. Ballard was waiting in the car. Marion checked her watch. It was 8:35. School started at 8:45, and the drive was eight minutes long. If they didn’t get going, they’d be late!

  Finally, Gabby was ready. They rushed outside.

  Phew! thought Marion as her mom backed out of the driveway.

  Marion made sure she had everything. She had her lunch box. She had her sneakers for gym. She peeked inside her homework folder. Yep, she had her homework.

  “Do you have your lunch, Gabby?” Marion asked her sister.

  Gabby nodded. “Your homework?” Marion said.

  Gabby nodded again. She was in kindergarten. She usually had a short math work sheet and some reading homework.

  “Your reading folder?” Marion asked.

  Gabby’s eyes went wide in alarm. “I forgot to read the new book in my reading folder!”

  Marion looked out the car window. They still had a few minutes before they got to school. “Want to read it together now?” Marion asked.

  Gabby smiled and nodded. She pulled out the book. It was called My Bike.

  Marion held the book and turned the pages as Gabby read. She helped Gabby with words she didn’t know.

  It was a short book, and they finished just as Mrs. Ballard pulled up to the school.

  “Thanks, Marion!” said Gabby, tucking her book into her backpack.

  Marion smiled. She was glad she helped Gabby start her day off right.

  Mrs. Ballard helped Marion and Gabby out of the car.

  She gave Gabby a kiss on her head. “Have a great day!” she said as Gabby walked off toward the school entrance. Then she looked at Marion.

  “That was great, the way you helped your sister just now,” said Mrs. Ballard proudly. “In fact, I have a question for you. You know how you’ve always wanted to babysit Gabby?”

  Marion nodded. It was true. She was always begging her parents to babysit.

  “Well,” said her mom with a smile, “Dad and I are having a party for some friends on Saturday. We’ll be home the whole time. But I’m wondering . . . will you be in charge of watching Gabby during the party?”

  Marion gasped. “Yes!” she cried. She jumped up and down with excitement. Her parents had always told her she was too young to babysit. But now they thought she was ready for the responsibility!

  “Thank you, Mom!” Marion cried, hugging her mother. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  Then Marion hurried into school. She couldn’t wait to tell her best friends the big news!

  The Club’s New Critter

  Marion had gym later that morning. It was her first chance to talk to Amy, Liz, and Ellie.

  “They’re going to let me babysit!” Marion exclaimed. She’d told them about her parents’ party. “I’m going to watch Gabby upstairs while they have their party downstairs.”

  The girls were standing in a circle. They were playing Hot Potato with a ball. When the gym teacher turned off the music, whoever was holding the ball was out.

  Marion tossed the ball to Liz.

  “Stewart babysat me one time,” Liz said. Stewart was Liz’s big brother. “But I think I should have been in charge. He was going to make a pizza bagel in the slice toaster. I stopped him. That would have been a mess!”

  Liz threw the ball to Ellie.

  Ellie shook her head. “I would never want to babysit Toby,” she said. Toby was Ellie’s little brother. “He wears me out even when I’m not in charge!”

  Ellie tossed the ball to Amy.

  “I think I’m better at babysitting animals than kids,” Amy said. Amy’s mom, Dr. Purvis, was a veterinarian. She also helped the girls run their animal rescue shelter, The Critter Club.

  Just then the music stopped. Marion, Ellie, and Liz looked at Amy.

  “I know, I know,” Amy said. “I’m out.” Amy stepped to one side. The music came back on. The girls continued playing. Ellie threw the ball to Liz.

  “Oh, guess what?” Amy said from the sidelines. “My mom found a stray cat yesterday!” Liz threw the ball to Marion as Amy went on. “She said she seemed really weak at first,” Amy said. “But my mom gave her some food and a couple of shots. She’s doing a lot better. She might be ready to come to The Critter Club by Friday!”

  “Then we can figure out if she has a home . . . or if she needs one!” Marion said happily.

  The music stopped. Marion still had the ball. Her smile faded—but only for a second. She was too excited about the cat.

  Marion loved cats. Her own kitten, Ollie, had been a guest at The Critter Club once. He had been in a litter born to a stray mama cat. The girls had found homes for all the other kittens. But Marion hadn’t wanted to say good-bye to Ollie. So her family had adopted him!

  Marion couldn’t wait to meet the latest Critter Club cat on Friday. And then she’d get to babysit Gabby on Saturday!

  This is going to be the best weekend ever! she thought.

  How to Calm a Cat

  On Friday after school, Marion’s dad gave her a ride to Ms. Sullivan’s house. She hurried into the barn, The Critter Club headquarters. Liz, Ellie, Amy, and Dr. Purvis were there.

  They’d had two animal guests for the last week. One was an iguana they were pet-sitting for a family on vacation. The other was a mouse. His last owner was allergic to him. The girls were trying to find him a new home.

  When Marion walked in, her friends were gathered around a pet crate on a table. Inside, all snuggled up, was a tabby cat with orange and white stripes.

  “Girls, meet our new friend,” Dr. Purvis said. She opened the door of the crate and stepped back. “She might be shy at first. Let her come out when she’s ready.”

  While they waited, they talked about the cat’s name. “She didn’t have a collar,” Dr. Purvis pointed out. “But it’s possible she has an owner and a name already.”

  “How about we just call her ‘Tabby’ for now?” Liz suggested. All the girls agreed.

  Finally, Tabby crept toward the crate’s open door. She stuck her head out cautiously. Then, slowly, she stepped out.

  Ellie cooed in her sweetest voice: “Hello there, kitty.” She reached out to pick her up. But Tabby drew back and hissed!

  “Whoa!” Ellie cried.

  Dr. Purvis put a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “Don’t take it personally,” she said. “She’s nervous. Let’s not pick her up just yet.”

  Amy spoke up. “Maybe she wants to smell us first?” Amy rested her hand on the table a few feet from Tabby. But the cat turned away. “I guess not!” Amy said with a shrug.

  Dr. Purvis frowned. “Hmm. She probably just needs to get used to it here. Let’s let her explore. Meanwhile, we can get her room ready.”

  Tabby’s “room” was the empty horse stall at the back of the barn. It had four walls, a door, and plenty of space inside.

  “This is perfect,” said Liz. “When we’re here, we can let her roam around. And when we’re not, we can
close the door. That way, she won’t try to get into the other pets’ cages.”

  Together, the girls worked to make the stall cozy. They piled old blankets in one corner.

  “That’s a nice sleeping spot,” said Ellie.

  Amy pulled a few cat toys out of her backpack. “I brought these from the clinic.”

  Marion set up a litter box in a little alcove. “She’ll be needing this for sure,” she said.

  Just then Marion noticed her shoe was untied. She sat down on the floor to tie it. As she was making the double knot, she heard a soft mew at her side. Marion turned her head. Tabby was at her elbow, looking up at her. Marion didn’t move. She wanted to give Tabby some time to decide what she wanted.

  Slowly, Tabby came around in front of Marion. She stepped into Marion’s lap. Then she lay down and put her chin on Marion’s leg.

  Marion looked up. Amy, Ellie, Liz, and Dr. Purvis were staring at Tabby in shock.

  Then Dr. Purvis smiled. “Well,” she said, “it looks like someone has made a friend.”

  Sister Sitter

  Marion jumped out of bed early on Saturday morning. Today I’m not just Gabby’s sister. I’m Gabby’s babysitter! she thought.

  She stood in front of her closet. Which of her outfits would make her look the most responsible? Marion picked out a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater, a corduroy skirt, and leggings. She was comfy, warm, and ready for anything.

  Then Marion went to brush her teeth in the bathroom. She even flossed after. Responsible people definitely floss, she thought.

  Down in the kitchen, Marion’s parents had made breakfast. Gabby was at the table, eating her pancakes.

  “Hungry?” Mrs. Ballard asked Marion.

  Marion nodded and sat down. Eating a good breakfast is very responsible, she thought. It’s the most important meal of the day!

  Mrs. Ballard gave Marion a plate of pancakes and berries. She poured her a glass of juice. Then she sat down with the girls.

  “So, the party isn’t until this afternoon,” Mrs. Ballard said. “But Dad and I have lots to do to get the house ready. Can you watch Gabby while we’re setting things up?”

  Marion nodded. “No problem!” she exclaimed. “Don’t worry about us. I’ve got everything under control!”

  Marion ran up to her room. She came back with her notebook. “I made a list last night,” she explained. “It’s a whole bunch of activities for us to do today!”

  Mrs. Ballard smiled at both Marion and Gabby. “Okay, then!” she said. “We will be in the living room. We’ll be busy, but we’re here if you need us.”

  Then she walked out of the room, leaving Marion and Gabby alone at the table. Gabby sat there quietly, staring at Marion.

  Marion eyed Gabby’s glass. “Do you need more juice?” Marion asked.

  Gabby shook her head no. “No, thanks,” she replied.

  Marion peeked over at Gabby’s plate. There was almost a whole pancake left.

  “Aren’t you going to finish?” Marion asked.

  Gabby shrugged. “I’m full.”

  “You should finish,” Marion said in her most adult voice. “You need food to keep your energy up!”

  Gabby crossed her arms in front of her. She seemed to have her mind made up.

  Marion ate her breakfast quickly. Then she asked Gabby if she wanted to see the activities list.

  “Okay!” Gabby replied excitedly.

  Marion pointed at number one on the list. “Clean Gabby’s room!”

  Gabby’s smile disappeared. “Clean my room?” she repeated. “That’s no fun!”

  Marion shrugged. “But your room really needs it,” she said, standing up from the table. “Come on. I’ll help you.”

  Gabby groaned.

  Marion led the way up the stairs. “I know this isn’t the best thing on the list,” she called over her shoulder, “but soon we’ll be done. Then we can get to the next activity: playing a board game!”

  Marion got to the top step. She turned around, adding, “That sounds fun, right?”

  Gabby wasn’t there. She hadn’t followed Marion. Marion could see her downstairs, still at the kitchen table.

  Marion took a deep breath. Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought.

  A Call for Help

  It took longer than Marion expected to clean Gabby’s room. Maybe it was because only Marion was really cleaning up. Every time she looked over, Gabby was playing with a toy instead of putting it away.

  Finally, Marion looked around and sighed. “Good enough.” She and Gabby went down to the playroom. They stood in front of the game closet. “What should we play?” Marion asked.

  Gabby answered right away. “Candy Land!”

  Ugh, thought Marion. She had played Candy Land a zillion times! “How about Scrabble Junior?” Marion tried. It would help her get ready for the spelling test next week.

  Gabby pouted and said, “I really, really, really want to play Candy Land.”

  Marion sighed. “Okay. Candy Land it is.” She was trying hard to be a good babysitter.

  Gabby grabbed the green game piece. It was Marion’s favorite from when she was little. But Marion let Gabby take it. Marion took red instead.

  In the middle of the game, Gabby drew a card that made her go back lots of spaces. She wanted to pick again. Marion let her.

  Marion was on a lucky streak. She was out in front. Then she picked the ice-cream card and got to skip even farther ahead. She was so close to the candy castle!

  “I don’t want to play anymore,” Gabby said suddenly.

  “What?” Marion cried. “I let you pick the game. I let you have the green piece. I let you have a do-over. Now you’re quitting?”

  Gabby turned her back to Marion.

  Marion was frustrated. She tried to calm down as she walked to the hall closet. She got out the big marker box for their next activity—drawing. So far, babysitting Gabby was not much fun!

  Marion was in the hall when the phone rang. She heard her dad pick up in the living room. “Oh, hi, Ellie!” he said.

  Marion perked up at the sound of Ellie’s name. She poked her head in the living room. Her dad handed her the phone.

  “Hey!” said Ellie on the other end. “I’m at Ms. Sullivan’s house. Amy, Liz, and I got here an hour ago. Tabby wasn’t in her room, and we still can’t find her. We’ve looked everywhere!”

  “Oh, no!” said Marion.

  “I know!” said Ellie. “So we were thinking. . . . Tabby really seemed to like you yesterday. Maybe she’d come if you called. Is there any way you could come over?”

  Marion opened her mouth to say, “Yes!” After all, her friends needed her help. But she couldn’t. She’d been wanting to babysit Gabby for forever, and she’d promised her parents she would. She needed to prove she could handle it.

  Marion to the Rescue

  Marion told Ellie she would come as soon as the party was over. “I’m sorry I can’t come sooner,” she said sadly.

  Ellie said she understood. Marion wished she could be in two places at once.

  Her dad heard her hang up the phone. “What’s up?” he asked.

  Marion explained that Tabby was missing and her friends needed her help. “But I know you need me here to watch Gabby.”

  As the words came out, Marion gasped. “Or maybe you don’t need me here!” she cried.

  Her dad looked confused.

  “Dad,” said Marion, “could I take Gabby with me to The Critter Club? She’s always wanted to come!”

  Mr. Ballard thought it over. “I don’t see why not,” he replied.

  He called Ms. Sullivan to make sure she would be there with the girls. When he hung up, he gave Marion a thumbs-up. “I’ll drive you both over,” he said. “And I’ll pick you up at three, when the party is over. Sound good?”

  “Great!” Marion exclaimed.

  She ran to the playroom to tell Gabby, who was even more excited than Marion was.

  “You can help us find Tabby!�
� Marion told her. Gabby stood up proudly—all ready for her mission.

  Marion tried to get Gabby to put on a sweater. “Sometimes it’s chilly in the barn,” Marion warned. But Gabby didn’t want to wear it.

  Marion sighed. They hurried into Mr. Ballard’s car and rode over to The Critter Club.

  Ellie, Amy, and Liz ran out to meet them when they got there. “We’re so glad you’re here!” Ellie cried.

  “Hi, Gabby,” Amy said kindly. “Are you going to help us too?”

  “Yep!” Gabby exclaimed.

  They all went into the barn. Liz showed Gabby where Tabby’s room was. “This is where we expected her to be this morning,” she said.

  Amy pointed toward the litter box. Behind it, in a dark corner of the room, there was a small hole in the wall. “We think maybe she squeezed out through there,” Amy said.

  “We’re hoping she’s still in the barn somewhere,” Ellie added. “If she got outside, she could be anywhere!”

  Marion tried calling. “Here, Tabby, Tabby. Here, kitty!”

  She moved around the barn. Gabby followed her. Meanwhile, the others fanned out in all directions. They peeked in corners, under tables, and in the supply closet.

  “Here, Tabby!” Marion called a little louder. “Where are you? Come out, Tabby!”